Saving My Mom
by heathergirl84
Summary: Issy is sent back in time to decide if she wants to save her mother or not, what will she decide? Will all the history in her mother's life detour the teen? What will Faith's daughter choose?


"So life threw you a curve ball, deal with it." Sam said slamming the car door.

"A curve ball?" I look over at him, "Try they threw a whole damn gallon at me."

He smiles and holds his hand out for me to take, which I reluctantly do, "Come on Babe, it's not that bad."

I huff loudly, "You really want to explain to our parents why we're running away?"

"We're not running away, we're leaving to save the frickin world, again!" I break away from him and stamp forward.

"Ah don't be that way!" he calls after me.

"Don't be what way Sam? I've been at the powers beck and call since I was two years old. I'm tired of doing their bidding, and I'm sure as hell tired of leaving my family and setting off on some stupid mission." I yell. Sam steps closer to me and looks down, "My own mother died doing this, am I supposed to just…." I sigh.

"You mean, are you supposed to just lay down your life and go when it comes down the end of the world?" Sam says softly, I look down toward my feet.

"Isabella, look at me." Sam says, but I don't look up, "Isabella Faith Lehane, look at me." Finally I look up at him and sigh, "Issy, I love you, and you know that. And I know you lost your mom, and you're tired of fighting these battles, but you have to listen to me. This is our destiny, and you're not fighting alone. We'll explain to Buffy, then we'll talk to my moms and they'll all understand."

I let my shoulder slump, "Sam, I'm not sure about this."

Sam wraps his arms around me, "Issy, I'll be right there. We're doing this together."

I nuzzle my face into his neck and drink in his scent. "Sam!" Willow's voice calls from the doorway, "You had better have a good reason for being so late! It's after midnight!"

Sam looks down at me and I smile up at him, "Yup, it's gonna go over so well."

Sam rolls his eyes, "Smart ass." He says kissing me before heading to the porch.

I stand watching him move toward the porch tilting my head slightly, eyes glued to his butt, "Isabella Faith Lehane get your eyes off his ass and in this house. And you had better hope you have a good reason for being out this late." My Momma's voice says from behind me. I jump and look toward are porch, "I wasn't speaking Minion."

"Sorry Momma," I say and head toward our porch. "I have a good reason." I step onto the porch and she raises an eye brow at me, "Well I think I have a good reason," she puts her hands on her hips, I look toward Sam's house, "I mean, we weren't like having sex. I mean if that's what you're worried about."

"Issy, please tell me you did not just say that." My Momma says shaking her head. "Look whatever it was we'll deal with it in the morning."

I nod my head, "Sure thing Momma."

"And you will not leave this house before we talk." Momma says following me inside the house, "Do you hear me?" I nod my head and mumble yes, "Issy, I know you and Sam are getting close but you can't just take off without tell anybody. Were you patrolling?"

"Maybe," I say and shuffle my feet.

"I've told you that you weren't old enough, you're only sixteen." Momma sighs deeply, "I worry about you. I don't want to lose you to some stupid ass demon."

"It was just a couple vamps Momma. And they were newbies. I didn't even get in a good slay, which sucks!" I shake my head.

"Don't tell me, the double h's. It's like living with Faith." Momma says closing her eyes.

I sigh, "I'm going to bed." I turn and head up the stairs. Faith Lehane is my Mom. Well, my first one. She died when I was six. I've lived with Buffy Summers ever since then. Slowly I climb up to my bedroom, and open the door. I sit down on the edge of my bed and burry my head in my hands. When I close my eyes I feel the bed shift and quickly open them. Sam is standing beside me, and I'm in some alley. Had it not been for Sam catching me I would have fallen. Looking around the first thing I see is a very young looking Buffy, Willow, and Xander rushing toward me. Looking a little ways ahead I find a young brunette fighting a vamp.

"Yo! Borrow that stake?" she asks a rich Boston accent evident. I suck in a breath and look over at Sam, who looks confused.

"Who is that?" He asks looking at me, "And where are we, is that my mom?"

I look over, "I think so, but that's not what I'm worried about." I point at the brunette, who's staked the vamp and is now introducing herself to Buffy and them, "Do you know who that is?" I ask astonished.

"No, should I?" Sam asks.

"I guess not." I say watching as they move toward the door, "Come on." I say following them, they seem not to be able to see us.

"Who is she?" Sam asks, as she looks back toward us, "Oh God, Issy! That's your mom! That's Faith Lehane!"

I look over at him, "I know." I say as we enter a club called the Bronze.

"We shouldn't be here, and why hasn't anybody said anything?" Sam asks.

I shrug, "I don't know." We follow them to an area with a pool table, which my mother perches herself on. She begins telling stories, and I'm simply mesmerized. The sound her voice and her laughter, it's got more Boston then I remember. Her eyes though, they are the same chocolate color as they were. Still nobody has said anything to us, so I am assuming they can't see us. Sam places a hand gently on my shoulder.

"Isabella, I know our mission is to save her, but we agreed we wouldn't leave until tomorrow. And whatever this is, did you do it?" He asks, I huff before realizing it's a valid question.

"No, I just set down on my bed." I say looking sideways at him, "And next thing I know, I'm here with you."

Sam frowns, "I don't understand." He watches his own mother, "She looks so different."

I start to think, "Momma was fifteen when she came to Sunnydale, I believe. Buffy, Xander and Willow were sixteen or seventeen." I look around, "So, T wouldn't be here yet. It's several years before they will meet. Buffy is still in high school. The year was….1998, October is I remember correctly. So in January Buffy will be seventeen."

"How do you know the year?" Sam asks raising an eye brow. I smile sheepishly at him and point to a calendar on the wall. He laughs and shakes his head, "That would explain how you know the day and year, know how do you know how old they are?"

"Well, Momma used to tell me stories about Mom, and she told me the one about her coming to town. Since she didn't call out for B, I figured that she's new in town, and she's telling stories." I smile up at him, "I remember a lot."

Sam leans in and kisses my forehead, "We have to get out of here, you realize that right?"

I sigh and nod, "I know, I just…." I'm cut off when the world shifts, "What's going on?" I ask as I blink in the bright sunshine. Once more I see my Mom, this time she's drawing a heart on the window of the school and putting a stake through it. Seconds later I see Buffy climbing through the window. "Okay I don't remember this one."

"Is Buffy skipping class?" Sam asks raising an eye brow, "Didn't she ground you for a month for that?"

"Month and half." I answer following them.

"Now wait just one second, you can't just follow them!" Sam calls after me.

I stop and turn, "And just exactly why not?"

"Because….I'm not sure it's a good idea." Sam says frowning at me.

"Look, this is the only time I get to see my Mom, I want to follow her." I say, turning and running to catch up with them. I listen as they talk, about nothing in particular. Apparently, Wesley has just showed up in town, and Mom isn't too happy about it. I laugh remembering that Wesley became one my Mom's best friends.

Sam rushes to keep up with us, "So, you really just going to follow them?" he asks.

"I'm really just going to follow them." I say staying in step with the two girls. We make our way in relative silence except for the chatter of my two moms' beside us. Finally we make it to an old shack and the girls break down the door. Vamps scatter but they manage to clear out the nest really quickly. I'm surprised at how well they fight together. Momma always said she felt connected to my Mom. I never understood what she meant, but watching them, the grace, the connection, the synchronized slaying. It's like watching a ballet, only way more interesting. My eyes follow my Mom's movement. She fluid and graceful, even for being so young.

Sam wraps his arms around my waste, "She's beautiful Babe." He says softly into my ear. I nod, blinking back silent tears.

Suddenly the world shifts again, and it's night. Momma and Mom are in the back of a police car, I smile remembering this story. I watch as they break out of the car and make a run for it. Sam and I follow them, into an alley. We watch as they slow down, looking around. Suddenly a man steps out in front of them. My smile changes, "No no, I don't want to see this no!" I shake my head backing away.

"What?" Sam asks, but he trails off as my mother plunges her stake into the heart of the man. "Oh no, Issy…" he says pulling me closer, "I'm so sorry."

I pull my face from his chest and watch as they both run away. We stand paralyzed for several moments. Then she comes back, she stands over the body and looks down at it. I pull away from Sam and move to stand beside her. "She's sorry." I say softly, "She's remorseful." I watch her bend down and raise a hand; gently she closes the man's eyes.

The scene changes again and we're standing in her hotel room, she and Momma are fighting. "You don't get it B, I don't care!" Mom says.

Momma looks shocked, "Faith you killed a man!" she says, Mom shrugs.

"So much for remorse." Sam says frowning.

"But she is sorry, just look at her eyes!" I say, "She's scared!"

Sam is about to answer when the scene changes again, and we're standing on a roof top Momma and Mom are fighting. "You'll pay for it Faith! The only way to save him is for him to drink a slayer blood." Momma says.

"Oh yeah?" Mom asks tilting her head, "Catch me then B." and she moves aside as Momma stabs at her.

Sam watches my two mom's fight, "What's going on?" He asks confused by the scene before him.

I sigh, "This must be when Mom shot Angel with a poison arrow and um, Momma stabbed her."

"She what?!" Sam asks looking down at me.

I watch with bated breathe as Momma stabs Mom, and she clutches her throat. Silent tears fall down my cheeks as I hear her whisper "You've done it B, you've killed me" and fall from the building. I watch as Mom stands there for a second looking down at the blood covered knife in her hand.

She's still standing there when the scene changes and we're in a hospital room, Mom is laying in the bed. I move to stand beside her looking down at her face, she looks so young and peaceful, almost like she's sleeping. Sam puts his arms around me, "You're Momma is beautiful, she looks so young."

"She is young. She was young when all this happened and she'd had a hard life." I say, "I'm not excusing her, because what she done was wrong, but I think she made up for it right?" I look up at him.

"We all make mistakes it's if we pay for those mistakes that matters." He says gently. "Look she's waking up."

I look down at Momma and sure enough she's waking up, she sets up in the bed and looks around as if confused. She looks down at the IV in her arm and frowns then around the room again. "Where am I and where is everybody else?" she asks to the empty room. She gets out of bed and pulls the IV out of her arm and heads for the door. Sam and I follow her. Mom stops a young girl and asks what the date is, she's not happy to find out isn't eight months after she had been stabbed. She ended up, much to my horror as I didn't know this part of the story, beat up the girl and stole her clothes. She headed straight to Mr. Giles's house, but just stood watching in the window. I guess she musta been sad to seem them moved on because when she turned back around she had tears in her eyes.

Once more we feel the wind pick up around us and the scene changes, this time we're in a church. Mom is fighting Momma. "I hate you!" Momma says punching Mom's face, "Ugly freaking bitch slut! I hate you!"

"You don't hate me," Momma says, "You hate you're self Faith."

Wait what did she just say? I look from one to the other, and sure enough the figure of my Momma calls the figure of my Mom B. "This must be the body swap." Sam says finally, "I mean that's the only thing this could be right?"

"What body swap?" I ask looking at him.

"Buffy didn't tell you about it?" Sam asks watching me closely as if wondering how much to tell me. "When you're Mom woke up from the coma she kinda switched body's with Buffy. Momma made some kinda joke about it one day, but this has got to be it."

"Oh, I see," I turn around in time to see Mom figured retreating. They had changed back while we were talking. I take off after Mom, running as hard as I can. But I feel a hand grab me, and suddenly everything is spinning. "NO!" I scream, "I want to stay here!" But my screams are lost in the wind. When it settles down we are at a bus station.

Mom gets off the bus, and some man approaches her. I can't hear what is said, but Mom knocks him to the ground. "Musta said something bad to her," I say turning to look at Sam.

"Maybe," Sam says kissing my forehead. "What do you know about her time in LA?"

I frown truth is I don't know anything. Mom never talked about it, and Momma refused to answer any questions. She said she didn't really know herself. "Some," I answer finally.

"Not enough no doubt." Sam says with a huge sigh running a hand through his light brown hair. "Come on."

"Where are we doing?" I ask frowning and following him.

"To Angel's," Sam answers, "She'll show up there I know."

I'm about to answer when I catch sight of her again, "Hey she's right there!" I answer, not waiting for a response before following her.

Again Sam sighs but follows me. We follow her to an apartment, it's obvious that she doesn't live here. "She took his keys," I mumble, "Why?"

Sam takes a deep breath, "She's very disturbed at this point Issy, Faith is…." He stops sighing as if he doesn't know what to say.

We watch as she does tiny things that seem so normal, by night fall she gets up and goes out. We follow her to the club, and I cringe as I watch her dance with every guy in sight. Once she's had her feel of the club we watch her walk out. A woman approaches her, but I don't listen to what she's saying. It seems like time is moving faster or something, but we've still been at this spot for hours. Sam and I make small talk, his arm placed protectively around my waste. We don't talk about what's going on, I don't know what to say.

The wind picks up again, and I become more alert. I wait to see what the next scene is and almost scream in horror. Mom has a grill lighter and arasol can, causing huge flames at Wesley's face.

"Oh God No!" I scream, "NO!"

"Shhh, Issy she can't hear you. Please, Issy." Sam sooths, pulling me close to his chest. "Shhh."

"She can't, no, she can't be doing this!" my screams are muffled by his chest, as he pulls me even tighter. Just when I think I can't take it anymore, and Wesley is going to die, Angel burst through the door. Words are exchanged, but I am not really paying attention, my eyes are focused on my mother. She looks so…young and wild. Like there's nothing holding her back, and she just wants to die. I watch as the two fight, and eventually fall out the window. The wind picks up and I'm to stunned to really realize it, but it takes us just a few seconds into the future.

A cold rain is falling, and Mom is standing a little ways away yelling at Angel. "Kill me!" she yells.

"I'm not going to kill you Faith, I want to help you." Angel says.

"I don't want help!" Mom yells, "I want to die!"

"No you don't." Angel says.

Mom shakes her head tears falling and mixing with the rain drops, "Please, kill me!"

Angel steps closer, "Faith," he says watching as she falls to the ground on her knees, "Shh it's okay, you're safe." He says taking her into his arms, "You're safe."

Again the scene changes and we're standing in a police station. "So it's over?" Buffy asks.

"It's just starting for her." Angel says looking toward a desk with a brunette setting beside it.

Sam puts his hands on my shoulder, "I think I figured it out." He says gently, "I think the powers want to know if you can deal with having her back the way she was before we save her."

I look up at him, "I want her back, I don't care what she done."

"But you have to understand that she wasn't always nice. This is just a glimpse. You have to accept her as she was." Sam says.

"I do Sam, honestly I do." I say tears falling as I watch them handcuff my Mom.

The wind picks up and we see a glass wall with telephones mounted on it, behind the glass is my Mom in a orange jump suit, in front Wesley. I watch as Mom's eyes get big when Wesley says, "Angelus is on the lose." My gets up and kicks the glass wall. As she and Wesley escape the wind picks up and the scene changes.

My mom is laying in a bed, Lorne beside her. "It won't be long now princess of darkness," he whispers.

I step closer to her and look down at my mother's face. It's torn and distorted in pain, or maybe confusion. Small tears teak out the corners of her eyes and I want so badly to reach out and wipe them. But I'm not sure if I can or not. I've not tried touching her.

As if knowing what I was thinking Sam puts a hand on my shoulder, "Don't Issy." He whispers. It's not until my own vision goes blurry that I realize he means don't cry. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. He's right.

As we stand there, Mom jumps up and leaps from the bed. Quickly, Sam and I move to follow her. We end up in the basement, watching her fight Conner. Finally, Angel catches him and assures him that it's him. She had somehow managed to resoul Angel.

In the final seconds before the wind picks up, Mom looks right where I would be standing could she see me. Her eyes are back to that beautiful chocolate color and I want to melt into them. I want my Mom back, this person. But the wind picks up and the scene changes. This time we are standing in the hellmouth. I know instantly this is the fight with the first. Momma is laying on the ground, and holding the sheth out to Mom. Mom takes it, as a silent understanding passes between them. It takes only a second for Mom to kill several demons, and I watch as she pulls Momma to her feet.

"You don't give up B." She whispers and Momma nods he understanding.

Suddenly the ground starts shaking and Spike yells for everybody to get out. Sam and I follow quickly behind Mom, as she runs for the excite, stopping to make sure the young potentials make it.

"She was a hero that day," Sam says admiration in his voice. I just nod my head.

The wind picks up as we watch the bus roll away, and Momma jump on the top. When the wind stops where standing in the middle of a big yard surrounded by buildings. There's probably forty young girls standing lined up doing excersises, with my Mom leading. I watch as she does the yoga routine Momma still does. She looks so serene.

"You look so much like her," Sam says wrapping his arms around me from behind, "She looks so peaceful."

"She was, from what I know at least. She loved teaching the younger girls." I answer leaning back into him, "I hope this works or whatever."

"Me too," He says, "But you know it'll change the future we have right?"

"I don't know if I care or not," I answer honestly. "I've dreamed since I was six years old to have her back, and I just hope the powers don't take it back. I don't think I could handle it." I snuggle closer to him, "Just as long as I still have you."

"Always," he whispers as we watch Momma join the group. The two leader take the young slayers through the moves that are second nature to them. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Willow and Tara slipping off, giggling perfusely. I chuckle and feel him look down but he doesn't ask why.

The wind picks up again and I sigh. I didn't want to leave the tranquil setting. I hear screaming before the wind even stops, it's Mom's voice. I frown, looking around I'm in a hospital room.

"OH! DAMN IT TO HELL GET THIS KID OUT OF ME!" Mom screams. My eyes get big suddenly realizing what is happening. She's in labor, with me!

My eyes fall on the woman in the bed, she's huge. She'd always said she was huge when she was pregnant with me, but I never believed her, until know. Her brunette hair is plastered to her face and Momma is trying to sooth her. It's not working. Mom's breathing hard and moaning still. Suddenly a doctor breezes into the room.

"Lets have this baby boy, shall we?" She says.

"Boy?" Sam asks looking down at me, and I giggle.

"Remember how you said I was full of surprises?" I ask, he nods raising an eye brow, "I kinda started out that way."

"You were supposed to be a boy?" He asks laughing.

"Yup." I nod confirming my point.

Just as he's about to answer a scream fills the air, and the doctor announces, "It's a girl!"

"The hell it is!" Mom screams, "I'm supposed to have a boy!"

"Well, I'm afraid it's not a boy," the doctor answers laying me on Mom's stomach.

"I…but…" Mom stops trying to talk and just looks at me, "You're perfect." She whispers. "And I'm gonna be the best mom I can," I can hear the tears in her voice, "I promise no matter what I'll take care of you." She kisses the top of my head, which is sorta gross cause it's covered in goo and stuff. Then she looks up at Momma, "Look B, I done it. I finally done something right, she's perfect."

"You done amazing," Momma says reaching down and cradling my cheek.

"I want you to be her Godmother. I want to know that if something happens, then you'll take care of her." Mom asks, and Momma just nods her head with a small 'of course'.

Sam kinda sighs and I look up at him, "What?" I ask seeing the frown on his face.

"Nothing, it's just that I would think they'd show you who your father is," He says frowning deeper.

I smile slightly and shrug my shoulder, "This isn't about him. Momma said Mom done everything she could to get him to be involved with me, but he refused. What I do know of him, he was a dead beat. I'm kinda glad they didn't show him."

Sam nods his head once, then looks back toward the doorway. I turn my head too and see Willow talking to a black haired young man. I'm not sure how to open doors or if we just walk through them, but I approach, apparently we just walk through them. The black haired young man is holding a vase of flowers.

"I'm sorry, tell her that. If I stay here, and if I try to be a part of that babies life, then they'll both have a target on their head. I can't do that to either of them, Willow please. Just tell her, I'm sorry but I couldn't handle it. Don't ever tell her why I'm leaving." The young man says.

"Faith won't stop looking for you Mark," Willow says sadly.

"You can't let her find me," Mark infisises.

"We could defeat whoever came after them," Willow suggests, "You don't have to leave your girlfriend and new born daughter."

"I do, or they won't be safe, please Willow, I'll never be far away." Mark says with a sad smile, "I'll get to see it all, but she won't see me."

"This really sucks," Willow says and Mark nods his agreement. When he turns to leave I see that I have some of his facial features. My father wasn't a dead beat, he left to protect me.

The wind picks up, and we're in a room with a lot of clouds. I frown and look around for Sam, finding him a little ways over.

"Have you made your choice?" A voice asks.

I look around for it, but can't find it. "What choice?" I ask.

"Do you choice to save your mother or not?" the voice asks again.

"Yes!" I answer immediately, "Yes!"

"After all you've saw you think she's worth saving?" The voice asks.

"She redeemed herself!" I insist, "She got better!"

"And you think that makes her worthy of being saved?" the voice asks.

"Look, if we don't then the world will end. You tell me if she's worth it." I answer agitated.

"But what if the world wasn't ending?" The voice asks, "Would you still save her?"

I pause to think about it, "Yes, I would. She may have screwed up in her past, but she paid her price. Why should I pay the price for her sins? To live without my mother?"

"You raise a good point." The voice admits, "You realize you will remember what life was like without your mother correct?"

"Then I'll cherish her more," I answer. "Please!" I can hear the begging in my own voice and I cringe.

"Very well, your mother has been spared. You will return to your own time know." The voice answers and I feel a wind blow once more.

When the wind stops I see that we are at the house next to Momma's, and Momma is standing in the doorway. I let go of Sam's hand and run head long for her, grabbing her around the neck.

"Oh no you don't, don't even try bribing me, where were you last night?" she steps out of my grip, but I don't let her go.

"Slaying, sorry Mom." I say, "I'm so sorry, I won't do it again, I won't ever do anything bad again." I promise her.

Mom looks startled, "Issy," she whispers, "What happened?"

"You don't want to know, believe me, you don't want to know." I answer, turning to wave at Sam, and watch him walk toward his house, I turn and walk inside with Mom too.

"You're still grounded," Mom says.

"Awesome!" I smile, I can't help it.

"You are weird, you know that right?" Mom asks going into a tiny kitchen. I nod as I set down and watch her fix me something to eat.


End file.
